By Mike Polhamus VTDigger.org Vermont’s top environmental official is calling for the state to spend less money on phosphorus reduction efforts for Lake Champlain. Julie Moore, the secretary of the Agency of Natural Resources, wants to significantly reduce the amount Gov. Phil Scott’s administration originally planned to spend on cleanup efforts over the next several years… Read More »

Vermont health officials have confirmed the year’s first case of human illness due to West Nile virus. An Addison County resident was diagnosed earlier this month with neuroinvasive disease – a more serious form of the illness that affects the nervous system. West Nile virus is spread through the bite of an infected mosquito. The… Read More »

The Department of Public Safety has conditionally approved PhytoScience Institute, LLC as the fifth marijuana dispensary. This past legislative session, the General Assembly increased the number of authorized marijuana dispensaries from four to five with the passage of Act 65. PhytoScience Institute plans on operating dispensing sites in Bennington and St. Albans, two underserved areas… Read More »

The Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department reminds us that baiting or feeding deer and bear is prohibited at all times in Vermont. “People are telling us they are seeing bags of grain labelled as deer food in some Vermont stores and they want to know if it is legal to put it out for deer,”… Read More »

Warden Jenna Reed of Newport and her German Shepherd K9 partner named Moose were recently certified as the state’s newest of four K9 game warden units. Reed and K9 Officer Moose are certified in tracking and evidence recovery. Moose will be deployed for everything from tracking a suspect who has run from law enforcement, to… Read More »

The Vermont Department of Mental Health has been awarded a $9.9-million federal grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. The grant, to be disbursed over a five-year period, will fund the Vermont Family Centered Healthcare Home Project as a comprehensive approach to mental, emotional, and physical health for children and their families.… Read More »

The Lake Champlain Committee last week released a report regarding cyanobacteria conditions at local lakes and described Shelburne Pond as having “high alert conditions” at the north end on Sept. 12. “Anyone recreating in this area should watch for, report and avoid blooms,” the report continued. At Hinesburg’s Lake Iroquois, no blooms were sighted, and… Read More »

By Mark Johnson VTDigger.org Gov. Phil Scott’s first donation from the proceeds of his inaugural ball is a motorcycle contributed to a veterans group that plans to raffle off the bike to support its programs. Scott made the donation last week, the first of a half dozen he will make to Vermont organizations from the… Read More »

The Vermont Department of Taxes is starting a crackdown on the state use tax and is offering a penalty-free period for taxpayers to catch up on use tax payments. When Vermonters buy items on the internet — or by mail or phone — or buy items out of state that will be used in Vermont,… Read More »

After being in place for six months, Vermont’s Automatic Voter Registration program has increased voter registrations, says Vermont Secretary of State Jim Condos. Between Jan. 1 and June 30, a total of 12,344 voter registrations were processed or updated by town clerks based on data sent by the state Department of Motor Vehicles. That’s up… Read More »